


So Much For My Happy Ending

by krisherdown



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: Gen, pairing withheld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-29
Updated: 2012-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-14 20:31:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1277989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisherdown/pseuds/krisherdown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marion doesn’t actually take what Dad says about dating seriously. If it were up to him, there’s only been one guy who might hold to his expectations. It’d be downright depressing if he’s truly right about this too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Much For My Happy Ending

**Author's Note:**

> I'm calling this gen but I'm not sure how it should be labeled - I will say there's slash but don't want to go into detail, but not quite het either. This was based on their pairing at Hopman Cup 2012.
> 
> Written for [netcord](http://chair-umpire.livejournal.com/18718.html).

Marion doesn’t remember the first person to call her Josie Geller, but she does know that Aravane thought it was hilarious and refused to shut up about it.   
  
To be clear, she doesn’t hate the movie _Never Been Kissed_. In fact, it’s kind of a sweet little film and the allure of having Michael Vartan as a teacher cannot be dismissed. She just knows that Aravane said it when she really wanted to call her Josie Grossie because she’s immature like that.   
  
She’s been kissed. She’s been _decently_ kissed, thank you very much. At the same time, she doesn’t mind inhabiting the fantasy world in which she imagines Pierce Brosnan had been in the stands of Wimbledon back in 2007 just to see her. It’s a nice fantasy that does no harm.  
  
In fact, it was that year she made the Wimbledon final that gave her all these offers. While some of the ladies on the tour believed it was impossible to separate her from her father, it was the months after in which she probably listened to him the least. Dad said these guys weren’t good enough for his little girl and then they’d do enough to prove him right.  
  
Marion doesn’t actually take what Dad says about dating seriously. If it were up to him, there’s only been one guy who might hold to his expectations. It’d be downright depressing if he’s truly right about this too.  
  
* * * * *   
  
Marion knows she would have had a great shot at an Olympic medal. She doesn’t seriously expect to get that pick, even if everyone tells her to keep her hopes up.  
  
While her game is good enough in singles, the wins in Hopman Cup allow the mixed doubles possibility to seep through as well. If she truly wanted a real-life version of Prince Charming or James Bond – and of course she truly doesn’t want any of these things, of course - that would have been the Hollywood Moment.  
  
What makes that week click is that Richard doesn’t question what her father is doing as a tennis coach. That might make him one of only three people in all of France who does get Dr. Walter Bartoli – and she isn’t even a hundred percent certain her mother should be counted. She believes he understands because his own father had been more interested in creating a tennis machine than a son, but it is best not to speak such theories aloud.  
  
The romantic part of that vision is pure fantasy because it’d mean Dad is right and she doesn’t want that to be.   
  
Any time she sees Richard not in tennis mode during that week involves him attached to his phone, either talking or texting. The talking is no big deal as it usually involves settling bets going around the world among some combination of Gael, Jo, Gilles and Mika. The texting is done as secretly as possible.  
  
After about four days of this, Marion finally wrestles the phone away from him. She scrolls through as he hides his face behind his hand but looks at her expectantly, as if he fears he is about to break her heart.   
  
She didn’t care that the messages all contained, at the least, sexual innuendo though some a lot more graphic.  
  
She didn’t care that Richard’s responses were all written in English.  
  
She _definitely_ didn’t care all the received messages were written by a guy.  
  
After too much silence, he asks, “Are you okay?”  
  
She sees the name but just has to ask to get the complete picture. “British or American?”  
  
“American. Mar-“ He just barely catches the phone tossed his way.  
  
Good thing she doesn’t live off of fantasies. That would be foolish.


End file.
